Every Friday TheChampagneSommelier will ask 5 questions about 5 coeur de bouteilles to friends and Champagne lovers from near and far. This week we had a bubbly chat with attorney & champagne lover Yuri Shima !
BIO
Yuri Shima is a Champagne expert based in the San Francisco Bay Area, originally from Japan. For her professional career, she lived in France and has been deeply in love with its wines/Champagne, people, food and culture. She writes and lectures on wines, specialized in Champagne. Her passion is to travel to Champagne, learn from producers/vignerons about their wines & stories, and share them with her audience and readers.
WSET Level 4 Diploma, Dame Chevalier by the Ordre des Coteaux de Champagne, Wine Expert certified by the Japan Sommelier Association, attorney admitted by the New York State since 2006.
You can follow her wine journey on Instagram @yuri_s1029 & My Champagne Life.
Which Champagne would You treat your parents or in-laws?
‘Krug Grande Cuvée. For my parents who like wines, I would choose Krug as it is majestic and perfectly poised, yet friendly. It is smiling, every time I open it. Grand Cuvée is the result of the tradition, history and craftsmanship of Krug and I am sure my parents love the story behind this wine.’
Which Champagne would You treat your lover?
‘Louis Roederer Cristal Rosé 2009. This is the ultimate Rosé champagne with utmost finesse, purity and precision. Once you sip, it gently caresses your palate and gives you pleasures. I like the vintage 2009 especially because of its brightness and openness. It shows a layer of flavours, and colourfully changes in the glass. Each sip craves for another sip and I just cannot stop drinking!
I also would choose an aged Blanc de Blancs from LR, such as 1990 or 1998. This Blanc de Blancs is delicate when young, and becomes richer, creamier and seductive with soft bubbles and rounded acidity, as it ages. I would cook creamy dishes, like scallops with bechamel sauce to pair with.’
Which Champagne would You treat your boss?
‘Pol Roger Vintage Rosé 2008. This is my go-to Rosé champagne and I always stock them in my cellar. It is a versatile and gorgeous wine with vivid fruits and complex flavors. Throughout my career, I have worked for bosses of different backgrounds, cultures and nationalities at organizations in Japan, France and the U.S. Thinking of them, this champagne is generous enough to appeal to and treats each one of them nicely.’
Which Champagne would You treat yourself?
‘I would treat myself with my favorite grower champagnes: Chartogne-Taillet and J-M Sélèque. From Chartogne-Taillet, I would choose “Lés Barres”, a single-vineyard cuvée made from ungrafted old vines. I have been a fan of Alexandre’s champagne for a long time. Each of his wines is so expressive and distinctive. Lés Barres is something I would like to open after a long, hard week. From J-M Sélèque, I would open Rosé Solessence. This is perfect when I want to relax and enjoy myself on a weekend.’
Which Champagne would You treat a dream guest, and why?
‘Jacques Selosse Substance. There are a few wines that have truly amazed me and changed my thoughts on wines. This is one of them. It gets even better, after it goes through long post-disgorgement aging — ideally for more than ten years. And yes, it is hard to find and one of the most-sought-after wines all around the world. One of the reasons why I like the Selosses wine is because it expresses the terroir in a unique way, based on his own styles and innovative ideas. I would select this exceptional champagne to treat a dream guest, with the hope that s/he likes it as much as I do.’
